Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems may include process chambers and/or load lock chambers. Each of the chambers may be included in cluster tools where a plurality of process chambers may be distributed about a transfer chamber, for example. These tools may employ a transfer robot that may be housed within the transfer chamber to transport substrates between the various process chambers and load lock chambers. Conventionally, a slit valve apparatus is provided between the transfer chamber and the process chamber or load lock chamber. Generally, there is one slit valve apparatus for each chamber. An end effector (e.g., blade) of the transfer robot passes by the slit valve apparatus to place or extract a substrate (e.g., silicon wafer) into the chamber. The slit valve(s) apparatus then may close to seal the chamber once the substrate has been inserted in the chamber. However, conventional slit valve apparatus may suffer from many problems that may affect the quality of the process taking place in the chamber and or longevity of the seals of the slit valve gates.
Accordingly, improved slit valve apparatus, systems and methods are desired.